Touch
by akiasi
Summary: All Rick ever needed was a gentle touch.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone that has read ANY of my works whether on Tumblr or on here!

Chapter 1:

Rick sipped from his cup of water, surveying the progress of the wall. They should be done by night fall. He felt good about his plan. He kept running the logistics in his mind. For right now that was all he could focus on. He sighed as he remembered his conversation with Jessie earlier that day. Carol was right. These people were children who needed to be told stories. The only problem was that Rick didn't have any time for storytelling. He had things to do, people to protect, children to care for and now a whole field of walkers. Rick sighed. His mind was moving a mile a minute and he was constantly on edge. He reached for his gun holster, finding the handle of his gun, he began to tap it, hoping to relive some of his tension. Rick tilted his head, trying to regain his cool. He inspected the construction site again, but this time searching for the familiar faces of his family.

Daryl was hauling dirt. Check. Glen was talking to Nicholas. Check. Maggie and Tara were by the RV. Check. Abraham and Sasha were by the car. Check. Carol was serving water to Morgan. Check. Michonne. His mind drew a blank as he looked around. He went through his mental check list again.

 _Daryl was hauling dirt. Check. Glen was talking to Nicholas. Check. Maggie and Tara were by the RV. Check. Abraham and Sasha were by the car. Check. Carol was serving water to Morgan. Check. Michonne?_

Now, he was holding on to the handle of his gun, shifting his eyes back and forth, and desperately trying to remain calm.

 _Daryl was hauling dirt. Check. Glen was talking to Nicholas. Check. Maggie and Tara were by the RV. Check. Abraham and Sasha were by the car. Check. Carol was serving water to Morgan. Check. Michonne?_

Michonne. He couldn't find her. Rick placed his hand on the bridge of his nose, tilted his head once more, and stood up. She was here. He had seen her a minute ago. He knew she was okay. She was a survivor above all else and regardless of anything she was okay, but he still needed to see her. It had become his routine. Every time he felt like he was losing control, he would find the familiar faces of his family and seeing them alive always kept him going and calm. However, the face he always needed to see was Michonne. The whole point of doing all of this was so that he could see her face at the every end. She would look at him and let him know that he was okay. If she was alive, that meant his children were alive, that he was alive, and that he wasn't hallucinating visions of people from his past. He looked around once more feeling the rising panic within him. Rick surveyed the work site once more, until he finally spotted her. She was walking back to the construction site with more wood and supplies. Sensing his gaze, she turned towards him, giving him a nod. Rick let out a deep breathe, one that he was unaware he was holding. He loosened his shoulders feeling some of the tension evaporate. She looked at him with a hint of concern before shifting her eyes toward Tobin and then back to him. Rick's brows furrowed as they communicated from a distance. He didn't trust Tobin. Apart from attempting to kill Rick, Tobin didn't get it. He hadn't survived.

A small movement in the woods, ended their unspoken communication as they both knew the cause. A group of walkers emerged and headed towards the work site. Tobin and a group of men standing close to the walkers yelled in panic. Immediately, his group attempted to stop the walkers.

"WAIT!" Rick yelled. "They have to learn."

Daryl, Morgan and Michonne stopped as they watched the group of men scour in fear.

"Don't use your guns. They will only attract more." He warned.

However, caught in their own fears. The men panicked and began to stumble backwards falling over each other.

"RICK!" Morgan yelled, before he attacked one of the walkers that was about to bite Tobin. Daryl and Michonne sprang into action as Rick sighed before he finally joined.

Everyone had stopped working as they watched the group take down the walkers, so as Michonne finished the last kill, she was met with a sudden applause. She cleaned off her sword and urged everyone to get back to work. She turned towards Rick already knowing his reaction. This was just further evidence for his claim that these people were children. She wanted to disagree with him, but the applause didn't do much for her case.

"I thought you didn't take any chances." Morgan commented to Rick as he went back to his work station. Rick tilted his head, already feeling some of his earlier tension returning.

* * *

People were slowly returning to their jobs. Tobin and his crew were trying to shake off the encounter, as they talked to each other.

"I should've married her. Francine can't even handle raw meat." Tobin joked as some of the men laughed.

"I don't know what's better? That sweet ass or that sword!" Another commented as the men continued to laugh.

"You think Rick is hitting that?"

"If he isn't, I will!"

Rick tilted his head, clenched his jaw and tightened the hold on his gun. He was only a few feet away, but he could hear everything. He glared at the men, envisioning how they would die.

"Rick." Michonne whispered as she stood next to him. He was firmly gripping the gun on his holster, ready to kill. Michonne slowly reached for his hand and moved it away from the gun.

"Help me." She commanded as she tilted her head towards the walkers on the ground. They needed to move them and she desperately needed to move Rick away from the men.

Rick sighed as he followed Michonne's lead. They piled the bodies on the back of the truck. They worked silently and quickly, knowing that they needed to return and finish the wall by tonight, but also because Rick needed a moment to cool down. The best way to calm Rick down was to get him working and focused on a task. She learned this at the prison when she first started searching for the Governor on her own. Rick was annoyed that she was still searching for him even though Daryl had said that the trail was cold. Every time she left, Rick would obviously be pissed and would spend that entire day farming. Hershel often joked that she should make him angry more, because he became the most efficient when he was upset. He was right, within a couple of minutes they had finished piling the bodies and were headed towards the woods to burn them.

As they drove deeper into the woods, Michonne attempted to make light conversation, gagging if Rick had calmed down yet.

"I liked that casserole thing that Carol made the other day." Michonne started. "I think Judy really liked it."

She turned towards Rick after he noticeably refused to engage in her conversation. Michonne smiled. He was just like Carl. She remembered how long it took for Carl to actually speak to her.

"Did you hear?" Rick questioned referring to the conversation between Tobin and his men.

"Yes." Michonne answered.

Rick tilted his head, clenched his jaw and tightened the hold on his gun. He knew that Michonne could handle herself, but at the moment he felt overprotective. He didn't trust these people, which meant that he always had to be on high alert. Hearing them talk about Michonne like that, increased his level of mistrust and angered him even more. He thought back to the marauders that had threatened to rape Carl and Michonne. Rick was stuck in his own mind, replaying that night and getting even more upset. Rick Grimes doesn't take chances any more.

* * *

Rick was so wrapped up in his mind that he didn't notice Michonne reach for his hand. It was a soft touch. Her hands were gentle and warm, unlike his own calloused hands. He felt her hands stroking his tense ones that were currently gripping the gun and for the first time that day Rick finally felt calm. He stopped thinking about the past and only focused on her touch.

"I liked that casserole thing that Carol made the other day." Rick spoke.

Michonne laughed as he repeated what she had just stated a couple of minutes ago. It sometimes surprised her how in sync they were at times. Noticing the shift in Rick's mood, Michonne attempted to move her hands from his, but he quickly caught it and continued to hold on. He was stroking her hands as he continued to talk.

"I mean I always knew Carol could cook, but that casserole was a masterpiece!"

"Casserole? The true masterpiece was the brownies she made last night." Michonne commented enjoying the lighter side of Rick. The side that most people didn't get to see or experience. However, she had encountered this lighter Rick on many occasions. At times, it felt like she was the only one who ever saw Rick like this.

"You and your sweet tooth." He joked, as he laughed to himself. "I think you might have passed it on to Judy!"

"Oh c'mon. I saw you eating those cookies the other day. I'm not the only sugar addict in this car, Rick." Michonne responded.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rick replied as he chuckled.

As Michonne stopped the car, Rick squeezed her hand one more time before starting on the task at hand. Once again, they quickly burned the walker bodies and headed back into the truck.

"You want to drive back?" Michonne asked as she tossed Rick the keys.

Rick grabbed the keys and smiled to himself remembering the time he had asked her to drive back to the prison because he was "seeing things".

"You aren't seeing things?" Rick joked as he entered the car.

Michonne laughed thinking back to the first time she witnessed the more playful Rick. She liked seeing him like this. He was a man far different from the dictating leader that everyone feared back in Alexandria.

As Rick began to drive, he once again reached for Michonne's hand. She was a little surprised, but disregarded the act, as he continued talking.

"You know the first time I saw Morgan again, I thought I was dreaming him up. But then I looked around, saw you looking at me and I knew that he had to be real."

Michonne listened before speaking. "I think you made the right call moving him in with us."

Rick nodded as they drove back in comfortable silence. Rick holding Michonne's hand, stroking it every couple of minutes to keep calm. It was such a peaceful drive. It almost made them forget that the world was falling apart.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and follows. Hope you enjoy this next part.

Chapter 2.

"Maggie, I'm sorry." Michonne finally stated as she finished explaining to Maggie what had happened to Glenn. She could see it in her eyes. The doubt, the worry, the shred of hope that she was undoubtedly holding on to. How many times had she been there before? She gave Maggie a hug before continuing on to her next destination. Her maternal instinct kicked in as her next thought jumped to Carl and Judith.

As she walked along the battered streets of Alexandria, her mind traveled to the past. Memories of returning back to a run-down camp with no one waiting for her, but the dead consumed her thoughts as she headed towards home. Every part of her wanted to run, escape this never ending dream and live a life of solitude somewhere by the sea, but she made a promise. She was done running. She was done taking breaks.

"OPEN THE GATE!"

Michonne immediately turned towards the gate as the sound of approaching walkers gradually increased. She ran towards the gate hoping that maybe Glenn made it out alive, only to be greeted by a tattered and bruised Rick. A hoard of walkers swarmed the gate as Rick ran through. Just at a glance she could tell that something was wrong. He immediately jumped into leader mode as he spoke to the worried crowd of spectators.

"You haven't had to see any of this before." Rick began.

Michonne watched as Rick spoke to the crowd. He looked worn-down and exhausted, but apart from that something was different about him. She couldn't quite place it, but she knew.

"The walls will hold. We are going to get through this." Rick finished as he looked around making sure to avoid any eye contact with Michonne.

Michonne watched as the crowd slowly dispersed. She wasn't sure they were going to make it. Deanna was going through something, while everyone else was simply waiting to die. With the walls surrounded by walkers, the mood within Alexandria had turned grim and desperate. Michonne wasn't sure how they were going to get through this. Her family was in pieces and something was off about Rick. Michonne sighed as she reminded herself of her promise, "she was done taking breaks."

* * *

Michonne entered the house unsure of what to expect. For all the action that had taken place over the last couple of days, the house was oddly quiet. She entered the living room and sat down on the couch, finally taking a break. It had been about an hour since she had returned to Alexandria, but she hadn't realized how exhausted her body was until that moment. Tiredness. That had become her life now, constantly being tired. She chuckled to herself trying to remember a time when she wasn't tired.

 _"Was she ever this tired before?"_ She thought to herself. Then she remembered that week that Andre began to walk. The running around, chasing after him, and trying to make sure he didn't get hurt. Now, that was the most tired she had ever been. It seemed bizarre now to imagine herself that way. She could remember those moments, but it was becoming increasingly harder to see herself in them. She was a different person now. This new Michonne simply didn't fit into her old world. This new world had changed her. She knew how to survive in this world, but wasn't sure how to live. Her mind immediately went to her conversation with David. His words still rang in her mind.

 _"We found Betsy on our way back to the community. She still saw me. After I thought I was dead and gone. She was my first friend. Then she was more. She made me more. Even better than I was."_

"Betsy." She whispered to herself.

"Who?" Carl asked as he joined Michonne on the couch.

"How's Judy?" She replied changing the conversation. She pulled him into a hug as he sat down beside her.

"She's okay."

"I'm proud of you. You did a really good job of protecting your sister." She whispered to him as she finally let him go.

He nodded acknowledging her words all the while looking uneasy.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Michonne asked looking at him with concern.

Before he could answer, Carol burst through the door.

"Michonne. Hey, we need you!" Carol declared completely unaware of the conversation she interrupted. "Rick wants to increase the number of people on duty and these people are too scared to be useful."

Michonne glanced at Carl with concern before she got up from the couch.

"Talk later?" She said as she followed Carol.

"Yeah." Carl replied as he got up from the couch to check on Judith.

* * *

Michonne sat in the guard tower wondering when the sky had gotten dark. She was currently running on fumes, but she didn't care at the moment. Watching and waiting, Michonne finally had time to let the day's event sink in. She made a mental list of things that she needed to do. Talking to Carl was number one on that list followed by checking on Maggie, then Deanna and the rest of the Alexandrians. It was probably best if she patrolled the neighborhood tonight. These people were unraveling and who knew what could happen. Michonne sighed thinking back to the crowd's reaction to Rick's speech earlier. The fairytale was truly over. Speaking of Rick, she added him to her mental list. She needed to check up on him or at least talk to him. Ever since his return, he had kept busy, to the point that it felt like he was avoiding her. It was strange. She felt this sudden disconnect from him, but wasn't sure where it came from. Something was off about him, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Michonne."

Brought out from her thoughts, she found Morgan waiting to relieve her from guard duty. Nodding towards him, she began to exit the guard tower.

"See anything out there?" He asked.

"No. See anything down there?" She replied.

"It's pretty quiet. Everybody is either asleep or too scared to make a sound."

She handed him the gun before heading out. It didn't escape her attention that he flinched when she placed the gun in his hand. Michonne added him to her mental check list as she left the watch tower. Morgan was right. For the first time, since she had arrived, Alexandria was eerily quiet. She began her patrol wondering if Rick was doing the same. It wasn't a particularly cold night, but the slight breeze made her shiver. Once again, she was alone with her thoughts. Michonne walked down the street taking in the scenic houses. Each house had something symbolic that represented the people living there. The Johnsons had a little wooden J hanging on their front door, while Mrs. Needleman had an array of gnomes on her front yard. Once upon a time, she would have mocked these symbols, but now she found them charming. She wondered whether David had a little symbol in his house. Immediately, her thoughts returned to David's words.

 _"But if I could make it back, I'd want to say goodbye. Tell her that finding her in all this that was everything."_

"Betsy." She whispered to herself. Michonne added her name to her mental check list. Tomorrow, she would find Betsy and tell her what happened to David.

As Michonne rounded the corner to begin patrol on the next street, she saw a bright light coming from Jessie's garage. She knew the walkers wouldn't be able to see it with the protection of the wall, but they had to be more careful now. As she approached the house, she saw someone standing next to Jessie. It was only when she got closer did she witness Rick kiss Jessie. In that moment, her heart dropped. Maybe this was the reason that she felt so disconnected from Rick. She slowly backed away from the house and continued walking down the street. Michonne wasn't sure how to react. The thought of Rick falling in love or being with another women was such a foreign concept to her. They had spent so long on the road that they never had time to dwell on these things. For a while there it seemed all they would ever do was kill walkers and keep moving. She had never thought of a life in this new world. A life filled with love and companionship. Was she ready for that? David's words rushed back to her.

 _"I wasn't crazy, I just gave up on being a person...then we found Betsy on our way back to the community. She still saw me. After I thought I was dead and gone, she was my first friend. Then she was more. She made me more, even better than how I used to be."_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I just couldn't wait. After that last episode, I am in full Richonne stan mode.

Chapter 3

"Jessie, wait…" Rick moved his hands from her body, finally aware of what was happening. He couldn't remember how he got there. It was like he had been in a dream this entire day and was now actually waking up.

"What?" Jessie asked.

He slowly moved away from her as he attempted to button up his shirt. What was he doing?

"I should go." He ran his hands through his hair as he backed away from her.

"Rick, is everything okay?" Jessie moved towards him as he continued to back away.

"STOP!" Rick finally said as he moved his hand to the bridge of his nose. He tilted his head and tried to gather himself. The mounting tension that had been building all day rushed to him at once.

"I should go." He repeated.

Rick left Jessie's garage feeling very anxious. He didn't feel like himself. The control that he once had quickly evaporated. He couldn't remember how it happened. One minute he was talking to Jessie and the next he was sticking his tongue down her throat. Whoever that person was in the garage was certainly not Rick. Rick was never that bold. It had taken a month before he had ever kissed Lori and a whole year before he even asked her out.

Rick sighed. He couldn't go home just yet. He needed to reclaim some control, clear his mind, and try to forget, so he walked. With everything that was happening, he might as well take patrol. He started to make a mental list of everything that needed to be done. Deanna was losing her mind and someone needed to take charge. He was going to keep this place safe regardless of these people. They were weak and scared. Two of the most deadly things to be in this new world, but he was going to help them in order to keep his family safe. As he approached the next street, Rick saw someone else walking around. He reached for his gun, tilted his head and readied himself.

"You should have reached for the knife. It would have made less noise."

Rick relaxed as he recognized her voice.

"You shouldn't be out here." He finally said.

"Someone needs to take patrol and I am the constable." Michonne responded.

"Co-constable." Rick retorted.

Michonne turned towards him giving him a strong side-eye. He chuckled as he corrected himself.

"Constable."

Rick joined Michonne as they walked around the small neighborhood. They were now walking side by side in a comfortable silence. As they rounded the corner, the tension that had claimed Rick slowly evaporated. For the first time that day, he finally felt like he wasn't losing his mind. Michonne walked alongside him feeling slightly uneasy. She attempted to forget the scene that she had witnessed earlier. She wanted to ask, but she felt odd talking about it with Rick. They had more important things to talk about than who Rick was kissing.

"Maggie's pregnant." She finally said.

Rick tilted his head as he tried to absorb this information. With Glenn, Daryl, Sasha and Abraham still out there, he wasn't sure how to process it. The first thing that came to mind was Lori. How risky and scary it had been during her pregnancy. The worry, the fear, and the doubt that had plagued him the moment he had found out. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Maggie felt knowing that she was going through all of it without Glenn.

"She wants this," Michonne continued, "and I think that it's a good thing."

"We don't know if Glenn is alive or dead. We are surrounded by walkers." Rick began as he calculated all the risks.

"She knows."

"I want to be happy for her, but we can't pretend. We can't take any chances. She was there when Lori…" Rick stopped as memories of Lori rushed to him. He couldn't remember the last time he had said her name, let alone talked about her.

"She knows." Michonne responded.

Rick stopped walking as he turned towards Michonne. "We've got too much going on and now this."

His mind was now moving a mile a minute. He needed to talk to her, check on her or do something. He tilted his head and reached for the bridge of his nose. The tension and worry was returning to him, while the control he was slowly gaining was now disappearing. He could feel her eyes on him. She was studying him. Did she know?

"Rick?' she asked.

He sighed. There was no way he would be able to keep it from her. The last time he did, she had to knock him out. Rick stared at the ground before stating,

"I kissed Jessie."

He wasn't sure what to expect. A part of him wanted her to be as angry with him as he was with himself, but the other part wasn't sure of anything. He wanted to look at her, but was slightly frightened. The guilt washed over him as he waited for her response.

"David." She began tilting her head to the side, waiting for Rick to look up. Rick looked up surprised by Michonne's calm demeanor.

"Before he died, he told me about who he was before he found this place." Michonne continued as Rick attempted to look everywhere, but at her. "He wasn't crazy, but he had given up on being a person," Michonne stated as Rick finally looked at her. "but then he found Betsy. She still saw him. After he thought he was dead and gone, she still saw him." Michonne reached for Rick's hand now, hoping that he was hearing her. "She made him more, even better than how he used to be." He stared at her hand before finally looking at her. "Rick, you're allowed to live your life. You can do that now. You can do that here. We all can. That's why Maggie wants this. She wants to start living again instead of just surviving." Michonne squeezed his hand as she finished speaking. She didn't wait for his response as she began walking. Rick stood there just watching her. He wished that he had gone to her tonight instead of Jessie.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So I am still on a Richonne honeymoon after they went canon, so this is a bit short. It follows the time jump from the show, so enjoy! Thanks for the reviews and comments!

Chapter 4: Good Morning

"Good morning! Yeah, it's the morning!" Michonne cooed at a giggling Judith as she entered Rick's room.

"Hey, do you have any toothpaste?" she asked Rick before she turned her attention to a wiggling Judith.

"You want to play?" Michonne slowly set Judith down on the ground and watched as the toddler attempted to crawl towards Rick.

Rick laughed, "she's getting better at it"

Michonne smiled in response enjoying the moment. They had been through so much over the past couple of weeks that it felt nice to have these moments. It made everything they went through worth it. Michonne moved and sat down on the bed, wanting to capture every last minute of the moment before her day began.

 _What do you want?_

Deanna's words crept into her mind as she watched Judith giggle and smile. She never thought that she would see another baby again, but here she sat watching a happy and healthy child.

"Gosh, she's growing up fast…" Rick said as he joined Michonne on the edge of the bed. She smiled at him before returning her attention to Judith. They sat side by side grinning at the little baby girl. Judith, somehow aware of all the attention, began to clap her hands together.

"Hey, Michonne…" Carl entered the room to find Rick and Michonne mesmerized by Judith. They had both been so busy rebuilding Alexandria that it was rare to see them sitting down doing absolutely nothing. Carl smiled as he joined them on the bed.

"I think she likes my eye-patch now." Carl said.

"Yeah?" Michonne asked.

"She kept wanting to touch it yesterday." Carl smiled as he remembered how she kept trying to pat his face.

Rick and Michonne both smiled as they heard the happiness in his voice. After everything Carl had been through, it was remarkable to see how quickly he was recovering. He had started reading his comics again and had started laughing more recently.

Michonne pulled him closer to her as his head rested on her shoulders. She brushed his hair and gave him a kiss on his forehead before she returned her attention to Judith.

 _What do you want for you?_

Rick smiled as he looked at his family. After everything he had lost, he couldn't believe how much he had gained. This was his life now. His heart warmed at the thought of every morning being like this, Michonne beside him, his children happy, healthy and alive. He reached for Michonne's hand and squeezed it. This was real. This was his life.

Michonne squeezed Rick's hand and sighed. This is what she wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I just couldn't wait. Notice how they are always holding hands? Especially, this recent episode...

Chapter 5: What I Want

It had become routine. Like clockwork, every night, Rick would find himself on the sofa, tired from the ins and outs of the day, contemplating the next task to complete, and dreaming of all the possibilities. Inevitably Michonne would join him and they would sit there. Sometimes in complete silence, but more recently in deep conversation or well-deserved laughter. Like Carl, Rick's sense of humor was slowly coming back to him.

Michonne walked into the room, placing the baby monitor on the table before approaching Rick. She had just finished wrapping Carl's bandage for the night and checking in on Judith one last time before heading downstairs. She sat down and sighed. It had been a long day. Between rebuilding the wall, killing walkers and assisting Carl with his physical therapy, Michonne wasn't sure what exhausted her more.

She turned towards Rick. "How's the hand?"

Rick raised his hands up and looked at his bruised hands. His hand hadn't completely recovered from his fight with Pete and it had only gotten worse during his rapid walker rampage. The wound hadn't properly healed, so it kept bleeding.

Michonne looked at his hands and smiled. She shifted her entire body towards him, as Rick offered his hands in surrender. She gently held his hands as he watched, mesmerized by her soft movement. She carefully unwrapped the old bandage, making sure that the wound was not infected.

Rick watched in silence. He could feel the tension and worry of the day slowly evaporate from his body. His mind felt clear and calm. For the first time in a long time, he could hear himself think. When they had first moved to Alexandria, his mind had been so cluttered and distracted, but almost losing Carl brought some much needed perspective on his life. He had to show Carl the new world. He needed Carl to know that he was allowed to live his life. That he could do that now. He could have a life in Alexandria. Rick's mind drifted back to Michonne's words to him.

 _Rick, you're allowed to live your life. You can do that now. You can do that here._

He had been so busy fighting and scheming that he didn't realize what she was trying to tell him. Michonne knew it way before he did, but then again she always knew.

"I should've listened." Rick began.

Michonne looked up. She tilted her head to side waiting for Rick to continue. Rick stared as his hands before continuing, "you were right…"

Michonne sighed calmly as she waited for Rick to make eye contact with her.

"After, I kissed Jessie…" he paused and tilted his head to side before finally making eye contact, "you told me that I could have a life, that I could do that now, that I could do that here and I didn't really know what that meant. I didn't…" Rick stopped, unsure of what to say.

"Did you miss her…them?" She asked.

"No." Rick responded firmly keeping his eyes on Michonne.

She observed him. They had never really talked about that night. It had all happened so fast and then Carl. Michonne turned her attention to his hands. She gently continued wrapping the bandages around the wound. Rick watched her. The swift and soft movements she made as she covered his hand.

"That night before everything went…" she stopped as she looked up at Rick, "Deanna told me, well asked me the same thing. She kept asking me what I wanted and I thought I knew what she meant. I thought I understood; you know, rebuild, start afresh, make a new world, but she kept asking. She asked me what I wanted for me?" Michonne paused.

She sighed and finished wrapping Rick's hand. "I didn't really know. What's the point of building a whole new world, if you have nothing to live for," she smiled as she glanced at Rick's bandage, "then everything else happened and I didn't really have time to think about it. To think about what I wanted for me."

Finally, she looked up and found Rick's eyes watching her, waiting for her to finish. She could hear his heart beating faster. His blue eyes unwavering as he listened to her. Michonne held on to his hands as she continued, "then this morning, like every morning, I was holding Judith and walking into your room to borrow toothpaste again." Rick chuckled in response to her morning routine of taking his toothpaste. "We were sitting there and we were watching her and then Carl came in," Michonne smiled, "we were together and we were happy and in that moment, I knew that's what I wanted. That's where I wanted to be. That every fight and obstacle in rebuilding this world are going to be for that moment! That's what I want."

Rick's eyes watered as he listened to Michonne. Through everything, she was with him, she was still with him. He reached for her other hand. "Yeah?" Rick asked smiling.

"Yeah." She responded leaning into him.


End file.
